Sunday 25th  November, Whangaroa Harbour, Northland,  New Zealand  South Pacific Ocean 35 00.6S 173 43.7E  Today’s Blog by David (Time zone GMT+13.00; UTC +13.00)

I think I probably did. And the problem with it,  is that rain gets the boat wet. Now, you might say, well, it’s a boat and it is designed to be wet and you could be forgiven for holding that ill-founded opinion.  Ill -  founded because rain is the wrong kind of water from the wrong direction – down rather than up.  When it rains relentlessly for days (as it did) parts of the boat that are not usually wet are wet for a long period of time.

If water was going to get in to the boat from above then a long period of rain is the time for it to happen.  It first manifested itself in the after cabin with a continual drip, drip, drip of rain through one of the hinges on the hatch in the coach roof – a drip, drip all over me and the chart table. But it also means that electrical  and electronic kit such as those on the cockpit pedestals which spend most of their time well above water and dry (save for the very occasional greenie that comes over the bow, down the coach roof and up over the spray hood,  drenching anyone and thing that gets in its way) suddenly find themselves very wet for a prolonged period of time.    Continuous submersion from rainwater  for days on end and water will inevitably get into places that seawater doesn’t ordinarily reach.  And so it was that we have had to replace the deck switches for the anchor windlass (which turned itself permanently on in the “anchor down” position); the mainsail outhaul (which continually wanted to come out), the bow thruster (which continuously wanted to turn us to port and also the starboard powered winch we got to before it decided upon  an unwelcome pull at the wrong moment.   

Changing these switches can be time consuming and really needs fine weather.  So we were fortunate them that our supplication to “One well qualified” last Thursday was rewarded with a break in the weather so that our sail from Russell to Whangaroa was largely in the dry and on occasions bathed in sunshine ……  although our departure was delayed by and hour or more for such remediation of our switch problems as we thought necessary ahead of the journey.

Whangaroa is a stunning harbour – a tight, obscure entry in a rock face -  reminiscent of the entrance to Polperro from the west - opening up into a Scottish lock of 4 miles in depth with a dozen deep water anchorages pretty much sheltered from all weather.  Some of the views are breathtaking:

Yesterday was anchored off the town of Whangarroa to determine that our visit coincided with a rally of vintage cars , …… well, as vintage as New Zealand can manage in the car line:  

Peter and I spent a pleasant afternoon spent a pleasant afternoon listening to 1950’s music. Meanwhile Terry and Lenie decided to go and climb to the very top of St Pauls Mount – a hill nearby that looks thus:

and upon the top of which we had seen people standing as we arrived…………….Good luck with that, as they say – and we did!

The sun is still out today and we have been fishing, for once successfully. Guess what’s for dinner…..? Errrr…. Sausages!?!?